Coloring Within the Parallel Lines
by crazygirlne
Summary: For five years in Pete's World, Rose has received glimpses of what happens around the Doctor. One morning, Rose wakes after a particularly unusual dream. Mild spoilers for The Day of the Doctor. Follows the lives of Rose and Tentoo. First story in the Parallel Lines series.
1. The Slow Path

_A/N: Five years after the events in Journey's End, Rose wakes after an odd dream. Mild spoilers for The Day of the Doctor._

Beta'd by the lovely HpGwperfect.

Standard disclaimer: I own no part of Doctor Who.

* * *

Chapter One-The Slow Path

[In which the past is established]

Rose sat up in bed, slightly dazed from her lingering dream.

"Doctor," she said, gently shaking the man next to her.

"Ungh," came the muttered response from under the covers.

"Doctor," she tried again, "I had another dream."

"I'm up!" heard Rose as the Doctor rolled over to face her. "You had another one? That's the first in a while."

"Yeah," she replied, "but this one was weird. It's like there was an echo. You were there, and you were there, and you were there."

She could almost hear the Doctor's blink in response.

"Echo. Right. Rose, are you awake?"

Rose sighed. "Yes, Doctor, I am awake. I'm forgetting the dream fast, though. It was like," she paused. "It was like I was seeing it from three people at once, but they were all you."

The Doctor sat up in bed and seemed more fully awake. "Welllll, I suppose, technically speaking, that's not without precedent" he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Rose turned on the bedside lamp.

"Okay, your turn to explain, then," she said, getting comfortable facing him.

O~O~O~O~O~O

As the Doctor explained prior crossings of his timeline, Rose, still sleepy and fuzzy-minded, reflected on their past in this world. The Doctor-Doctor Arthur Noble in public, but Rose would always think of him as "Doctor"-had been in Pete's World for five years. At first, the idea of taking the slow path for the ten years or so required to grow the TARDIS seemed to both terrify and thrill the Doctor. The very first night, though, when Rose woke from a nightmare, crying hard enough that the Doctor came running from his room across the hall, the Doctor found something to focus on.

Somehow, Rose had seen the fully-Time Lord Doctor's loss of Donna Noble.

After extensive tests (courtesy of the Doctor's expertise and Torchwood's equipment) and several more dreams, the Doctor's best guess was that Rose had formed a connection with the TARDIS through her experience as Bad Wolf. When the other Doctor was actively thinking of Rose, the TARDIS passed along what he was seeing and feeling (no sound, oddly enough) to Rose. What baffled both Rose and the Doctor was the fact that the walls between the parallel worlds remained tightly sealed, without any apparent way for the TARDIS to be contacting Rose.

In the meantime, the Doctor also ran plenty of tests on himself. It seemed that, in addition to the single heart, the Doctor had a handful of biological aspects that were closer to human than to Time Lord. Specifically, his mental capacity and what went with it, to include his sense of time and ability to see both real and potential timelines, had remained Time Lord. He could hold his breath longer than most, had better-than-average senses, and needed only about 4 hours of sleep each night. Otherwise, he was miraculously, depressingly human.

Because the Doctor was dealing with the mystery of Rose's dreams and his own adjustments to being part human-to include a job, a paycheck, and a flat-their romantic relationship progressed more slowly than it might have otherwise. Their first "dates" often involved trips to medical facilities, legal offices, and storage units as they collected data, arranged for Dr. Arthur Noble's existence, and retrieved useful alien artifacts labeled as non-functional. The Doctor was thrilled when Rose was able to supply him with his very own sonic screwdriver. Granted, he was a little disturbed when he realised she'd acquired it from the unfortunate version of him who never met Donna, but he was able to put that aside at his pleasure in having his screwdriver returned to him.

After things settled down, and after the two had moved out of the Tyler mansion and into a flat about mid-way between the mansion and the Torchwood office at which the Doctor and Rose worked, things started to heat up. Kisses became more frequent and more often turned into full-on snogging. They started sharing a bed-just to sleep, at first-after a particularly vivid dream Rose had about a year after acquiring the flat. She woke up so heartbroken that she refused to let the Doctor go from her bedroom after he'd come in to make sure she was okay. "You don't want to go," she said, "so don't."

Later, the Doctor told her how hard sharing a bed without sharing their bodies was, but Rose had assumed at the time that he was just being the Doctor, unaffected by physical needs in the same way as humans. When they finally crossed that line, he proved her wrong both thoroughly and repeatedly.

Officially, Rose Tyler, the Vitex heiress, had started dating Dr. Noble only recently, a bit over four years since they had returned to Pete's World (though why they still called it that was beyond Rose). The couple's uncommon choices of date locations-often dangerous locations that doubled as tricky Torchwood missions, sometimes undercover or overseas-had kept their relationship away from the media for much longer than anyone had expected. The rest of the Tyler family seemed a little relieved to be out of the spotlight for a while; the media had long ignored Rose since she didn't date or drink in public or anything else that might sell stories, and Pete and Jackie had been amazed that the two kept their relationship hidden for so long. If Rose were being honest with herself, she'd admit she suspected Pete may have interfered a few times in the past to give them more time in private and that Jackie may have leaked the Doctor and Rose's location during a proper date in hopes of forcing the two to make a commitment. Instead, the couple now regularly made gossip headlines for their extravagant trips all over the world; the traveling helped keep the both of them sane while adjusting (or re-adjusting, for Rose) to life without the TARDIS.

O~O~O~O~O~O

"And so I kept running," concluded the Doctor. Rose, having missed much of his story in her reminiscing, smiled and said, "My Doctor. Always running."

"Yup!" he replied. "That's me!" He grinned at Rose, that smile that she still swore could melt a marble statue. "But I don't understand how it could have happened again. And I wonder which of my faces I had. Do you remember?"

Rose tried to think. "No. I'm sorry, Doctor, but it's already faded. It's like my head couldn't keep them all at once and so it didn't hold onto any."

"Ah. Yes, that makes sense. I don't know how much I'll even remember himself. Ourselves? Anyway," he glanced at the clock, "I'm up for the day. What about you?"

"You're kidding, right, Doctor? It's three in the mornin'. I'm going back to sleep. Of course, you can help me get there, if you want."

The Doctor grinned, a different kind of heat in his gaze now. "Oh, right, I suppose I could help with that."

And he did.


	2. All in All, It's Just Another Day Now

_Beta'd by the lovely HpGwperfect._

_Standard disclaimer: I own no part of Doctor Who._

* * *

Chapter Two-All in All, It's just Another Day Now

[In which the Doctor and Rose have a relatively normal day for a relatively unusual couple]

When Rose woke again, the Doctor was tinkering in the lab they'd put together in the spare bedroom. He seemed particularly engrossed in whatever he was studying, so Rose made her way to the kitchen for some much-needed caffeine before joining him in the lab.

"G'morning, Doctor," she said, cup in one hand and a banana in the other. "Did you have breakfast, or did you forget again?"

"Rose! Come look at this!" he replied without answering her question.

"Okay," she said, walking over to the table the Doctor was working at. "What am I looking at?"

The Doctor gestured enthusiastically at one of several items for which Rose could never remember the name, despite the fact that she had a much better scientific knowledge base than she'd had in the other world. He turned to her as she approached.

"I was thinking about your dream and how much stronger the link would have to be to send you my perspective thrice simultaneously. I know we haven't tried to isolate the link in years, but I thought it couldn't hurt to try, right? So I narrowed the parameters while expanding the focus and reactivated the," he paused mid-sentence. "Did you bring me a banana? I love bananas. Did I ever tell you…"

"Doctor," Rose interrupted.

"Rude," said the Doctor. "And I'm supposed to be the one who's rude and not ginger. Don't you know you shouldn't interrupt? You know, I once saw a whole society…"

"Doctor!" Rose tried again. "You had something to show me, and it seemed urgent."

"Oh! Yes! Rose, why did you let me get sidetracked? Anyway," he said through a mouthful of banana, "So then I…" He trailed off again as he looked back at his workstation.

"Then you what, Doctor?"

"Oh," he said, rather lacking his prior enthusiasm, "It's stopped. It was beautiful. The structure of the sample was unlike anything I've seen in years. It was glowing, Rose. The cells were actually emitting light on a wavelength that matched, well, Bad Wolf's glow." He grinned, excited again. "Do you know what that means, Rose? We confirmed it! It was still not enough to follow, and the walls are still sealed, but somehow, and it's just brilliant, you're still connected to the TARDIS. Well, not our growing TARDIS, but the other TARDIS, you know."

Rose smiled patiently, not surprised at the information since she'd been sure the Doctor's guess was right. "I know, Doctor. Speaking of our TARDIS, you should probably finish that banana and check on her before work." She looked at the clock and grimaced. "We've got to leave early to pick up our dress and tux for Mum and Dad's event tonight."

It was the Doctor's turn to grimace.

"Rose, do we really have to go? You know it's bad luck when I wear one of those. Can't I at least go in something else?" the Doctor whined.

Amused, Rose replied, "Yes, we really have to go, and as much as I enjoy seeing you in this particular state of undress, I really think Mum and Dad might object. Not to mention," she added, "the press is supposed to be out in full force for this event, our biggest one together since they figured us out."

"Right. Well, it was worth a shot. I still think I shouldn't wear a tux." The Doctor sighed and turned away from the table to face Rose fully, a look on his face that she would never tire of seeing. "You go wash up. I'll join you shortly."

O~O~O~O~O~O

"Really, Rose, what's wrong with my suit?"

Rose sighed. "Really, Doctor, because I can't remember: were you always this stuck on a point you wanted to argue, or did you get that bit from Donna?"

"Welll," the Doctor drawled, hand rubbing the back of his neck as they walked down the Torchwood hallway, "maybe it was a bit of both."

Rose chuckled. "Well, yes, Doctor, Mum was very specific. And she's serious this time, too. She says Tony will be there in a tux, and if a six-year-old can wear one without complaining, so can you."

"Oh, alright," the Doctor responded. "I suppose I don't want to anger Jackie. I can still feel the slap from two faces ago." He rubbed his cheek gingerly.

Rose smiled, a bit of tongue peeking through her teeth. "I love that you're still afraid of my mum."

"Rose Tyler," he said with a sigh, "The things I do for you."

As they approached the door that proudly labeled itself as belonging to Pete Tyler, the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver with an expression that shifted from resignation to anticipation. He aimed the sonic screwdriver at the door. Rose watched, amused, as the tool unlocked the door.

"Ah ha!" the Doctor exclaimed excitedly. "You can't keep me out yet, Pete Tyler!"

He opened the door, clearly expecting to see a disappointed Pete on the other side. Rose nearly collapsed in laughter at the baffled look on the Doctor's face.

"He got you good," she said, still laughing as she pulled out a key.

"Another door? He put another door behind this one. And it's wood. We clearly established that wood was against the rules."

"Nope," Rose replied happily. "The agreement was that he wouldn't replace this door," she patted the one the Doctor had opened, "with wood or wooden parts." She unlocked the old-fashioned second door and opened it. On the other side, her father was managing a straight face.

Mostly.

"Well, hello, Doctor," said Pete, "Why didn't you open the door yourself?"

The Doctor simultaneously glared and pouted.

"Come on, Doctor. You gotta gimme this one. It's been years and I haven't so much as slowed you down once." Pete looked down at the paperwork on his desk and cleared his face of the smile that had managed to find its way there. "Right. So I called you here for an assignment."

Rose and the Doctor sat in the chairs in front of Pete's desk, Rose still looking amused and the Doctor still pouting.

"We've had something come up in America," Pete explained. "Reports of a man who won't die, reports of a man who comes back from the dead, and one report of a man who can vanish at will. The descriptions are all very similar: dark hair, solid but fit, possibly military. Women have described him as handsome." He chuckled slightly. "Not all of them used quite so tame wording for it, though. Anyway, it took us quite a while to figure out this was a pattern. These reports span a good fifty years, and he doesn't seem to have aged much, if at all." Pete looked up from his desk before continuing. "He was last seen in Utah, reportedly causing a ruckus in as many bars as possible, starting fights he doesn't always survive. Then, apparently, he is in the habit of making off, undead, with the most attractive person who was there, male or female."

The Doctor stared at Pete. "They go off with him after he's dead?"

"Right," said Pete, continuing. "So we need you to check it out. You're on a flight in three hours, so you'd better get out of here and get ready. Your e-tickets have been sent to your Torchwood emails."

The Doctor's face changed from one of attention to one of glee.

"You mean," the Doctor asked, "we won't be able to go to the gala tonight?"

Pete sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Please, don't remind me," he said. "I still haven't told your mother," he added, looking at Rose. "I'm going to have to remind her that she doesn't want to be my widow again."

Rose chuckled briefly and stood to leave. She turned to the Doctor. "You coming?" she asked him.

"In a mo'," he replied.

"Alright," she said, squeezing his shoulder momentarily before leaving the men to themselves. She was used to their need for "guy talk." The Doctor, being unable to share his past, had made few friends in this universe. Pete's positions in both Vitex and Torchwood made him an intimidating man with similar problems opening up. The two had formed an odd sort of friendship, and thinking of it had Rose smiling genuinely as she exited the office.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Rose passed time waiting for the Doctor by straightening her desk and sorting emails. This assignment had her a little on edge, and she wasn't sure why. She looked from her monitor and over to a framed photograph on her desk. In it was a photo of Rose and the Doctor from about a year ago. Rose was smiling at the person taking the photo. The Doctor, meanwhile, was watching at Rose with a look of adoration, hope, and longing. Rose loved that she no longer had to try to reason away that look; her Doctor loved her, even if he still didn't say it often.

"Rose!" said the man himself, coming into the office they shared with a few other co-workers. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, Arthur," replied Rose, shutting down her computer. She still had a little bit of trouble remembering to call him Arthur at times, but people just assumed she was using his title when she slipped with a "Doctor" instead of the name he'd chosen as a reminder of the last time he was in a new body, with jim jams that were "very Arthur Dent." Of course he would pick a science fiction name, and a Hitchhiker's reference just seemed to fit him perfectly, so she didn't slip often.

The discussion while they headed back to their flat was mainly focused on work, and a lot of teasing was involved with packing. Rose thought the Doctor packed far too many random gadgets and pieces from their lab. The Doctor, meanwhile, thought Rose packed far too many clothes.

"Why do you need more than just the one outfit? I can sonic it clean if we can't wash it. I still don't understand why you prefer to wash your clothes the long way. Honestly, the sonic does a better job. Do you know what kind of chemicals are left behind with…"

"Doctor, do you really need three of the whatchacallits? They're such a bother to get through security," Rose interrupted.

"Yes, Rose, I do! What happens if one breaks and we lose one? Then you'll be happy I brought three thermonucleoregulators." The Doctor looked proud of his explanation, and the two continued packing, good-natured bickering continuing the whole time.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The zeppelin ride was uneventful, with a good deal more public showing of affection than Rose was used to; nothing was inappropriate, and Rose delighted in cuddling with the Doctor, but they were so used to avoiding "compromising situations" for the media that the electronic-free ride was a treat. Rose was also looking forward to being in the states for a bit since fewer people tended to recognise the London-based couple.

After arriving at JFK airport for their connecting flight, Rose and the Doctor decided to fill the time by discussing ways to track down their mystery man.

"It makes me think of Jack," said Rose after they'd talked for a bit. "With the dying and coming back and all, and the description."

"Yes," said the Doctor cautiously, "but it's a pretty vague description. Could apply to me if I wanted it to. I am devastatingly handsome, after all, and I have dark hair."

Rose responded to his preening by looking him up and down. "That's true. And you do have really great hair. But I don't know about that 'solid' bit of the description. But I quite like that you're easy to grab onto when we…"

"Rose Tyler!" the Doctor interrupted, looking scandalized, "You can't talk about that in public!"

Rose chuckled. "Right, Arthur, because you've never recounted in public how many times you made me o…"

"Okay! Okay," he stopped her again. "Welll, it was pretty impressive."

He paused, looking at her appraisingly. "I wonder if we could…"

"Doctor! Back on topic, please. I can't concentrate when we discuss this." Rose smiled at him in the way she knew he loved, all teeth and tongue and happiness.

"I know. I can smell. Ahhh, tell. I meant I can tell. Anyway, so, mystery man. We checked for Jack Harkness when we looked up the rest of our friends from the parallel world, and nothing came up, no indication he has ever existed here. So we can probably safely assume it isn't him. Plus, I think even Captain Jack would avoid attracting quite so much attention."

"You're right," Rose sighed.

Their conversation was brought to a halt when the airline made the announcement to board the flight to Salt Lake City.

As they approached the Utah airport, Rose studied the sleeping Doctor next to her. She still rarely saw him sleep. Though he was much more relaxed in general since the meta-crisis-she attributed this to Donna's influence-he was still so much more serene while sleeping. Rose smiled and leaned in closer, appreciating his warmth-just a touch cooler than a standard human's-and the much-smoother landing the zeppelin offered as compared to the couple of airplane landings she'd experienced in her original world. She sighed in contentment before closing her eyes.

She was startled, then, when the Doctor tensed up just before they landed.

"That's not possible," said the Doctor, staring blankly ahead.

"What is it, Arthur?" asked Rose as she turned to face him, concerned.

He shifted to look at her, but she wasn't sure whether he was actually seeing anything in front of him.

"A fixed point, Rose. There's a fixed point moving around nearby. We may have to reconsider the connection of our mystery man to Jack Harkness."


	3. Really Great Hair

_I love seeing the alerts for likes and favorites! I'd like to hear what everyone thinks._

_Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing of Doctor Who except my love for it ;)_

* * *

Chapter Three-Really Great Hair

[In which a commitment is made and immediately threatened]

After disembarking the zeppelin and retrieving the suitcase they'd agreed to check (the Doctor's case of gadgets had, of course, stayed with the couple), they picked up their rental car and left the airport. With Rose behind the wheel, they quickly left Salt Lake city limits and headed out into farmland, the Doctor muttering directions periodically from the passenger seat. After a while, Rose glanced at the Doctor, who seemed a little more himself than he had when they left the airport.

"So," she ventured, "Do you think it's Jack?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm not sure," he replied. "A person being a fixed point, well, it's just impossible. So for there to be another one? I can't wrap my brain around it. And my brain is quite impressive. I'm not sure how it fits in my head. Welll," he continued, "that's not actually true. I know how it fits in my head, but I also suspect that you'd interrupt me as soon as I tried to explain. And you call me rude!"

Relieved that he had recovered enough to joke around, Rose smiled. "Well," she said, "at least this makes it easier to track him down."

"It does," he affirmed. "And it happens to be the same way I wanted to go anyway."

"Doctor," said Rose, watching her surroundings as she continued to drive, "We're in the middle of nowhere. You wanted to go this way?"

"Yup!" he responded cheerfully. "And the presence is this way, too."

"Do we have a plan for if the fixed point isn't the person we're looking for? Or what if it's Jack? What do we do then?"

"Well," he replied, "You know I don't really do plans, Rose. Sometimes I have a thing, though. That's even better than a plan. I have a cacophony of ideas, Rose Tyler. I just need to apply the appropriate idea to the correct situation."

After all these years, Rose still got a little tingly at the way her Doctor said her full name, and she suspected he knew it. "Like when we were supposed to collect that artifact for Torchwood and you sealed the cave on a ten-year timer instead?"

"Well, yes. Or no. That could have been a harmful weapon. I was merely being appropriately cautious."

"It was a hair dryer. You just didn't want to share your great hair," Rose said teasingly.

"Oi! That isn't true at all. I thought it was a… Rose! Turn right here and park off the road."

Rose made the turn as he indicated and maneuvered the vehicle off the road.

"Here we are!" he said as he nearly leapt out of the car. As Rose joined him, he grinned and took her hand. "Run!" he said with excitement, making a happy sound as they ran into the large, empty field.

They ran for a couple minutes and then slowed to a walk, giggling and bumping shoulders as they continued through the field.

"So, where are we, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"We're here!" he replied as they strolled leisurely. "Did you know that by the time you can ask that, we've moved? Between the planet's rotation and its hurtling around the sun, it is very difficult to thoroughly answer that question. By the time the answer is finished, it's no longer accurate. Roughly speaking, though, I suppose we're in a field in Utah."

"Right," said Rose with just a touch of exasperation, "I noticed that."

"Then why ask? Honestly, Rose, sometimes I think you just like to hear me talk," the Doctor said with a wink.

Rose laughed again. "Seriously, Doctor. What should we be looking for? Is he close? Should we be quieter?"

"Ah. Well, possibly. He's nearby, but I don't think he's close enough to hear us yet. I'll let you know when we need to be on guard." He looked around intently. "Oh! Here we are."

Rose tried to find anything that distinguished their location and failed.

"And where is that again, Doctor? And I'm not talking location in space."

"Here, Rose, is nowhere important in this world. Yet." The Doctor looked both serious and nervous. "In this exact location, in another world, we visited in 2012. This was one of our first adventures together, and I wanted to bring you back here. This was where Henry van Statten hid his collection."

He took a breath and reached in a pocket, retrieving a ring. Rose gasped. They'd talked about marriage, but the Doctor had seemed uninterested, and Rose was content as they were, as long as she was with her Doctor. She stared in shock at the ring he held. The band was simple and delicate, the stone an unremarkable size, but it subtly changed colors as it moved, starting clear and then giving off flashes of blue, pink, and yellow. Rose took her eyes off the ring to look back at the Doctor. Was he really proposing? Or was he being dense again, mimicking the wrong human traditions without realising it, just trying to give her a piece of jewelry?

"Far underground in a parallel universe, there was a bunker." The Doctor continued after his brief pause to gauge Rose's reaction. "In that bunker, a Dalek was the first to speak the words I wouldn't admit to even myself for so long. Rose Tyler, you are the woman I love, and I'm planning to keep telling you that for as long as I live. Would you do me the honor of making our life together official?"

When she didn't immediately answer, her mouth still hanging open slightly as she stared, the Doctor continued: "Well, I mean, not that it wasn't official to us, but I mean official to other people. Not that I care what other people think, but I thought you might. Might want to, I mean. Not that you care about other people. Well, you care about everyone, even Daleks, but…"

"Doctor!" Rose interrupted, finding her voice finally. "Marrying you? I'd love it," she said with a smile.

The Doctor smiled in return, a smile as big as she'd ever seen, and he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around before kissing her soundly.

When they finally paused to breathe, the Doctor took a moment to slip the ring on her finger.

"This diamond," he explained, "Is like me. We may change in appearance, but we're still the same. You, Rose Tyler, are my rock, my anchor through the changes."

He winced slightly.

"That was just a bit sappier than I intended," he commented.

Rose smiled. "It's perfect," she said, leaning in for a kiss.

Suddenly, from behind her, Rose heard a sound she'd not expected to hear again, one that filled her with horror.

"EXTERMINATE!"

She spun around, pressing closely into the Doctor, and opened her eyes wide in shock.

Standing in the field with them wasn't a Dalek. Instead, holding a device that looked suspiciously like a music player of some sort, was Captain Jack Harkness.

"Hello, Rosie," he said with a wink as he came closer, putting the audio device away. The Doctor's hands wrapped protectively and possessively around Rose's waist as Jack came within reach.

"I'm Jack Harkness," said the handsome man with a smile that almost rivaled the Doctor's smile a few minutes earlier. He reached out to take Rose's hand. "Would you believe me if I told you you're the girl of my dreams?" he continued as he kissed the back of her hand gently, without breaking eye contact.

"Oi, stop that," said the Doctor testily, "And put that gun away."

"Oh, this?" asked Jack, taking a small step back and displaying the weapon he held in his left hand. "I always keep this out when I meet new people loitering over my current employer's hidden base. I don't know either of you, Doc. Therefore, my gun stays."

"I hate to argue," started the Doctor, "but you seem to know at least our names." The Doctor blinked. "Well, I suppose that isn't entirely accurate. I rather like to argue under the right circumstances. And I most definitely consider facing a mercenary with a gun to be justification for disagreeing with the situation." As he spoke, the Doctor slowly maneuvered Rose to his side and slightly behind him.

"Jack," Rose tried, "What's going on?"

"Well," Jack said, obviously confident he still had control over the situation, "Like I said, you're the girl of my dreams. Literally." He looked unsure for the first time. "I've had dreams about you for the past eight years or so, ever since I stopped staying dead." He looked at the Doctor. "So don't even think about killing me. It won't do you any good, but it hurts like hell."

Rose gasped. "Doctor, that's when our Jack…" she trailed off. "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"Care to explain what's going on, Doc?" asked Jack. "I've seen a bit. I know Rosie here made me this way but didn't mean to. I heard your explanation to the other me. The dreams got stronger and easier to remember about a year after they started. I assumed the dreams were just side-effects, not real, until I saw the two of you. My brain trying to make sense of things, maybe. But if everything I've seen in those dreams is real, how come I don't remember it?"

"Welll," said the Doctor, "If I had to guess-and I am brilliant at guessing-when my Rose made you immortal in a parallel world, it somehow affected you in this world, too. Further, since she used Bad Wolf's energy to do it and Bad Wolf seems to have linked her permanently with the version of me still in that world, at least when he's thinking of Rose, that link must be sending you the dreams through her. I doubt you have any sort of direct connection, but since Rose is now here in this world, it is amplifying the latent connection between…"

Rose took a few steps away to think as the Doctor continued to explain to Jack what he knew or could reasonably guess. She tried not to let guilt consume her. She had seen how hard immortality was on her Jack, and now she had done it to at least one other version of him. She was getting lost in these thoughts, pacing, when she heard a familiar noise and saw a bright flash of light engulf her.

When the light faded, Rose Tyler had disappeared, and nothing remained in her place but a small pile of dust.

* * *

_A/N: I know, I know, that's a less-than-nice place to end the chapter. I've been writing about a chapter a day and have just six planned in total. I make no promises that I'll keep writing that quickly, but I do promise to try to get the next chapter up as quickly as I can. I can't stand cliffhangers, but the story was begging for it!_

_Thanks, all, for reading!_

_-Kita_


	4. Don't Stop Believing

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving for those it applies to!_

_Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing of Doctor Who._

* * *

Chapter Four- -Don't Stop Believing

[In which the Doctor and Rose face their obstacles without losing hope]

Rose woke with her head pounding.

She groaned as she sat up. Her travel with the Dimension Cannon had lessened the effects of the trans-mat beam, but the resulting headache from the crude transport was still pretty bad.

Rose took a moment to take in her surroundings. She appeared to be in a typical prison cell of some sort. There were no windows that she could see, and between that and the damp feel of the cell, she was guessing she was being held underground.

She continued to search her surroundings, trying to gather any information she could. The single guard outside her cell didn't react to any pleas or questions, but Rose was able to gather some information from his appearance; he was a private guard, he was not currently uniformed by the military, he was American, and he was armed with both lethal and non-lethal weapons.

She paced her small cell- -since it was complete with a small toilet and functional cot, it was better than some cells she'd been in- -as she tried to think of a way to escape. She kept up a stream of one-sided chatter to the guard, no longer expecting a response; she'd heard- -and confirmed often enough first-hand- -that letting your captor know you are real and human and have feelings, emotions, and connections can improve your chances of survival.

"And I couldn't believe it," she was currently explaining to the silent guard, "when he pulled out a ring. And it's gorgeous," she said, studying the ring as the spoke, "just like he is. The Doctor makes me feel loved, protected, excited, happy, challenged, and respected. He treats me like I'm the most fragile and important person in the world, and he does it while still treating me like I'm capable. He hasn't tried to send me away for my own good since Canary Wharf. You should always treat a girl like that, you know," she continued. "Treat her like she is irreplaceable and unique, like your life didn't really start until she entered it, even if you've lived a long, long time."

She sat down on the narrow cot with a sigh and fiddled with the ring on her finger.

"He must be so worried. I hope he doesn't do anything too mad to get to me. He's the Oncoming Storm, you know," she raised her voice slightly and spoke more pointedly to the guard. "It really isn't a good idea to be on his bad side."

She took the ring off her finger to study it more closely. On the inside of the band was writing that she recognised as Gallifreyan. Looking at it was making her just a little dizzy. Before she could look away, it was like the symbols shifted slightly, and she was certain the words said, in English, "My love, my life, my Rose." However, when she tried to focus, the words returned to indecipherable Gallifreyan. After a little experimenting, she decided it was reminding her of those Magic Eye picture books she'd seen when she was younger.

She started to get a headache and decided it was time to try to get some rest. Rose didn't see a way out yet, so she knew she needed to save her strength for when opportunity presented. She was pretty sure it was past dark by now.

She reclined and tried to get comfortable, and she was pleasantly surprised that she took less time than usual to fall asleep. As she closed her eyes, she immediately began to dream.

O~O~O~O~O~O

"There!" she heard the Doctor say. "That should do it."

As with her earlier dreams of the original world's Doctor, Rose was able to sense her Doctor's feelings. He was currently conveying both hope and desperation in nearly equal measure.

"So, Doc," said Jack from where he was sitting on what appeared to be an exam table of some sort, "I don't want you to explain the whole thing again because it makes my head hurt, but basically, this is gonna make it so I dream what Rose is seeing?"

"Temporarily, yes," said the Doctor, emitting a surge of jealousy and irritation. "This should enhance the latent connection between the two of you, allowing something like a telepathic connection." Rose felt his jealousy become tinged by a bit of sadness and wondered whether he still actively missed having a telepathic connection with others. She could see the Doctor prepare a syringe and felt him walk to Jack.

"This will render you unconscious for approximately five hours. We have to make sure you're under while she's asleep; impressive as my Rose is, I doubt her telepathic capabilities are strong enough to function while she's awake." Jack extended his arm, and the Doctor administered the injection. "If this works, if you see Rose, tell her," he said, feeling a dizzying mix of hope, fear, love, longing, jealousy, and sadness, "tell her I love her, and she has to keep herself in one piece so I can tell her that every day."

As Jack lost consciousness, Rose's dream's vision went dark.

O~O~O~O~O~O

"Rosie!" she heard before she opened her eyes. "Are you alright?"

She sat up and opened her eyes. It looked as if she were back in her cell, with one major difference: Captain Jack Harkness was standing in the middle of the room.

"Shhh," she said hurriedly, gesturing toward the guard.

"Nah, I'm fine," said Jack. "He can't hear me. I'm not really here. Doc put me in your head somehow. I can go as far as you can see, and that's it. You should probably pretend you aren't talking to me, though. Doc had said you'd be asleep before we could talk, but it doesn't look like you are. Not that I'm an expert on these things," he added with a grin, "though there's plenty of other stuff I am an expert on." He winked outrageously.

Rose stood. "I've been talking to myself all day," she said in a way that implied she was still talking to herself. "Hey, you gonna talk to me yet?" she aimed at the guard. When there was no response from the man (who she was pretty sure had been replaced by a different guard than her original) she continued talking. "The Doctor's going to rescue me."

"Yeah," said Jack, "He is. He said that this should transfer enough of my consciousness that he can track it. Then again, he also said you'd be asleep, so we'll see."

"Why would you help?" she asked, careful to try to sound as if she were still talking to either the guard or herself. "You don't know me."

"I've dreamed of you for years, Rosie," said Jack in reply. "Well, I've dreamed of the Doctor thinking of you. There's no way I couldn't admire you after feeling what he feels for you. And how jealous he gets of me? I suspect the version of me who does know you is in love with you at least a little." He avoided eye contact as he continued. "I don't know that version of myself. He's so much more than I am. I'm just a mercenary."

"So was he," Rose told him. "So, after I had been traveling with the Doctor for a little while, we met this man, right? He saved me. I ended up on a barrage balloon in the middle of an air raid. This man, this Captain, he rescued me, flirted a bit, tried to pull one over on me and the Doctor. When the three of us ended up trapped, the Captain was the only one who could get out, and he did. He didn't have to come back for us. The Doctor and I, we'd have been in trouble, maybe even dead, but this stranger saved us. If that weren't enough, this man who didn't think he cared about anyone but himself, he risked his life to save everyone."

Jack, who had been listening intently, was now watching Rose, more hope in his eyes than she'd seen in the stranger who was also a best friend.

"So you see, I don't believe you're 'just' anything. You're not just a man for hire," she continued. "You are good, and you can show everyone else that side of you just as soon as you decide to."

Rose jumped as the guard turned to face her, an odd expression on his face. "You really think that?" he asked.

Before she could respond, Rose heard footsteps coming down the hall toward her cell, and the guard whipped back around to his stationary position.

"Sir," he acknowledged politely as a familiar face came into view.

"Van Statten," muttered Jack. "I shoulda known this had something to do with my employer. I'm so sorry, Rosie. Good news is, he's a collector. He won't hurt you unless he has to. If he took you, he wants something or thinks you're special."

While Jack explained, van Statten and his bodyguards- -four of them- -approached the cell. At a nod from his boss, the prison guard unlocked Rose's cell.

"About time," said Rose. "It gets pretty boring with nobody to talk to."

"Well," said van Statten, his tone just as self-important as Rose remembered, "Good thing I'm here for you. Come along."

Rose followed, pretending complacency as she took the opportunity to study more of the complex.

Henry van Statten ignored her as they walked, two bodyguards ahead of him and one holding each of Rose's arms lightly. He barked orders into his phone's headset as they continued briskly through the hallway. Jack wasn't talking any longer and Rose couldn't turn to look, so she didn't know whether he was still with her.

The facility seemed a lot less impressive than the one in Rose's memory. It looked old, run-down, and much smaller. Not long after leaving her cell, the group reached what appeared to be van Statten's office. Van Statten and two bodyguards entered, and the other two bodyguards ushered Rose inside the office before shutting the door behind her.

Still ignoring Rose, van Statten made his way to his desk. He sat down in his seat and sorted through the small pile of paperwork as Rose took in her surroundings.

The shelves were covered in what looked like random junk. The few things whose purpose she recognised were broken in obvious ways and had never been particularly interesting to start with. The office was small; she thought her prison cell might have been bigger. With four people in his office, there was almost no room left to move.

"You," van Statten said suddenly, gesturing at one of the guards. "Go fetch me something to drink. Make it strong; I'm tired of dealing with you. And you," he continued, turning to the other guard, "Go tell that science geek I need him to come here. Damned communicator never does work in this office."

As the guards left, van Statten finally turned his gaze toward Rose.

"So," he said, a hint of pride in his voice, "What do you think of my collection?"

"Honest?" said Rose, taking a full look around. She didn't see Jack, so he must be gone. "I think it looks like a lot of rubbish."

"I'll have you know," van Statten replied angrily, "These are all priceless alien artifacts."

"Yeah?" said Rose, her patience and tact having faded quickly, "I think I saw one of those at Henrik's, right next to the wind-up rats," she said, pointing at a particularly boring-looking artifact.

Van Statten rose from his chair, his face red with anger. "And what do you know? Just because you set off our energy sensors, it doesn't mean you know anything! I've studied this! I've collected for years and have filled this room with the most important items! I have employees who respond to me and me alone! I am God in this place, and you will respect me!"

Before Rose could respond, the door opened. She turned slightly, expecting to see a returning guard.

"Oh, hello," she heard, her heart soaring at the beautiful voice. "This isn't the café. I wanted to order a banana shake." The Doctor paused and turned to face Rose directly, brilliant smile covering his face. "Love a good banana milkshake. Makes everything right with the world."

Rose ran to the Doctor and flung her arms around him, reveling in the feel of his arms wrapped tightly around her. The hug was far too brief as the Doctor set her down next to him and turned to face van Statten.

"So," said the Doctor, restrained anger in his voice as he held tightly to Rose's hand, "We meet again for the very first time."

* * *

_A/N: Rose and the Doctor should never be separated for long!_

_Between the holiday and a very long drive for the two days after, I might not be able to update until after the long weekend. Love the reviews!_


	5. I Get Knocked Down, But I Get up Again

Chapter Five: I Get Knocked Down, But I get up Again

[In which the Doctor and Rose are victorious]

_"So," said the Doctor, restrained anger in his voice as he held tightly to Rose's hand, "We meet again for the very first time."_

Van Statten looked first baffled, then outraged as he seemed to realize an unauthorized person had just entered his office without invitation.

"How did you get in here?" van Statten demanded. "Guard!" he yelled, trying to aim his voice past the Doctor and into the hallway.

"How did I get in here?" said the Doctor. "You just saw me walk in here. Clearly you must have either a vision problem or a memory problem. Perhaps I can be of assistance. Dr. Arthur Noble, here to help. Then again, I'm really here to help Rose, and you've given me reason to believe we're working at cross purposes, what with having kidnapped her and all."

Van Statten was clearly unused to being treated with anything but respect and deference, and being treated without these by two different people in the span of a few minutes was definitely something he didn't know how to react to. Between that and his guards' continued absence, van Statten was momentarily at a loss as to how to react.

"So," said the Doctor, a bit of a cheerful tone and smile returning briefly to his face, "We can do this two ways. You can either give the order to let us go, now, unharmed, or we can escape while bringing down your entire facility. Your choice. Personally, I prefer the excuse to bring this place down, to watch it fill with rubble, to see your life's work undone for your daring to take Rose Tyler without her consent."

As he spoke, his countenance changed, and the contrast between the carefree smile and the stare of the Oncoming Storm, complete with flashes of anger behind his eyes, made the later look even more effective than usual.

Van Statten took a small step backwards, pushing his chair with him, before finally finding his voice.

"This is not your domain," he sputtered, taking a step forward again. "It is mine. This is my domain, my world, and you don't belong here unless I say you do. I think you both could do with some medical experimentation. Guards!" The last was shouted more loudly this time.

The Doctor grinned after one more angry look, and he turned to face Rose, still holding her hand.

"Well," he said happily, "it looks like we get to fill this place with cement again."

Rose's returning grin wasn't quite as wide as the Doctor's. Yeah, she thought filling the place with cement sounded perfect, but she didn't often see the Doctor show glee at the thought of destruction.

"Let's do it, yeah? But how, without hurting any of his employees?" Rose asked the Doctor. "We don't have a Dalek to hurry up the evacuation this time."

"Well," said the Doctor confidently, "First, I'm going to tell van Statten here that if he holds that device," he pointed to an object on a shelf, "and turns in a circle twice while picturing clouds, he can teleport one time, only to these same coordinates, just above ground. This is important," he continued, "because step B is to lock him in the office."

They took the two steps to get outside the office. The Doctor quickly closed the door and used his sonic screwdriver on the lock.

"There," he grinned, "That should hold him."

He wrapped his arms around her again, holding her tightly before reluctantly letting go.

"We'd better get started. Jack's distraction won't keep the guards much longer, and we need to make sure everyone's out. He's got them as close to the exit as he can. Luckily, this place is much smaller than it was in the other world. We've just got to retrieve the technology specialist."

He paused and made a face.

"I hope it isn't your pretty boy, Adam. C'mon, this way," he said, gently leading her back towards where she'd been held. "The science office is this direction."

They made their way down the corridor at a brisk walk, hands swinging, shoulders bumping. Anyone who saw the pair would be unaware they were possibly in a life-or-death situation.

The Doctor stopped them at an unmarked door. It was unlocked, and he opened it before walking through the doorway. Inside was a larger collection of artifacts than the one in van Statten's office, these clearly still in the process of being studied rather than displayed. Standing at one of the workstations, intently studying an object that wasn't from this world, was a woman with dark hair and glasses.

"Hello!" the Doctor addressed her. "You're not Adam! Excellent."

The woman blinked.

"No, I'm not Adam. Toshiko," she added.

"Judging by the accent, you're not from around here, either," ventured Rose, glad she didn't have to meet this world's Adam.

"You're right," replied Toshiko. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," said the Doctor. "We're looking for something to seal this place off for good."

Toshiko stared intently for a moment before smiling.

"You're here to take down van Statten and his collection? That is excellent, indeed."

She turned to a computer in the corner of the room and started typing rapidly.

"I've been waiting for this for years," she explained as she typed. "I have a program in place to erase all of van Statten's accounts, replacing them instead with outstanding warrants for theft, blackmail, kidnapping, extortion, failure to pay taxes. All fabricated, of course, but no less true for all that they're faked."

She finished typing and turned to a safe, entering a long combination of numbers before opening it.

"I kept the most dangerous of the artifacts away from van Statten without him even realising it," she said, standing away from the safe's door to allow the Doctor a closer look. "You look like you have an eye for this stuff. I can usually read people pretty well."

The Doctor nodded and moved to the safe, releasing Rose's hand for the first time since they were reunited. As he studied the safe's contents, Rose studied Toshiko.

"How long have you worked here?" she asked.

"Five years now," the woman replied. "I applied on a whim. I'm not good at big changes and thought maybe this would help me get out of my shell. It didn't work. I think it might have done the opposite, really."

"Aha!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Perfect!"

He turned to face the women, an unremarkable-looking object in his hand.

"Toshiko, is there an evacuation system? Some way to tell everyone to get out?"

"Yes, there is," she replied, moving back to her computer. "Ready."

The Doctor set the object on the table and fiddled with it. Rose couldn't tell quite what he was doing.

"Okay," he said, "start the evacuation. Everyone should already be close to the exits. This device will fill every open space down here with a sort of indestructible goo. When I say go, we need to go fast."

An automated voice filled the room.

_"Warning, evacuation. This is not a drill. Emergency evacuation protocols have been activated. Warning, evacuation. This is not a drill."_

The message repeated as the Doctor finished what he was doing. He grabbed Rose's hand and gestured for Toshiko to go ahead of them.

"Run!" he said, a bit of glee showing as it often did when he had to say that word.

They ran back toward van Statten's locked office and past it. Rose looked back only once, seeing a purple goo filling the corridor behind them as they ran. Finally, they reached the surface, climbing a ladder and crawling through a circular opening in the ground. The Doctor quickly turned after they were all above ground, and he shut the opening, once again using his sonic screwdriver to ensure that it would stay shut.

Looking around, Rose saw several guards standing about, with Jack and van Statten off to one side in what looked to be a heated discussion.

"Accepting payment is not the same as giving loyalty," she heard Jack say as she and the Doctor approached. "Hey, Doc," he said, turning toward the approaching couple, "What are we gonna do about this guy?"

"He's taken care of," said the Doctor, "Thanks to this fine lady over here." He gestured at Toshiko, who'd made her way over to the group.

"All I did was make sure he'd be charged with every crime he's committed," she said, not looking half as pleased as Rose thought she herself might in the situation.

"Hello there," said Jack smoothly, reaching to take Toshiko's hand. "Jack Harkness. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oi, stop that," said the Doctor as Rose said, "Not now, Jack."

"I'm just saying 'hello'!" said Jack.

"I don't mind," protested Toshiko simultaneously, blushing slightly.

"The guards don't seem to have any more loyalty to this man than you do, Jack," the Doctor said, looking to Toshiko and Jack for confirmation.

"Right," said Jack, with Toshiko nodding in agreement.

"Oi! You lot!" the Doctor hollered at the loitering guards, sounding more like Donna than usual. "This man is now without funds, without power, and without the means to pay any pending checks. He will be arrested by the first policeman who realises he has outstanding warrants, so you may not want to present yourselves as his associates."

He stopped, turning to those closest to him and then continuing in a normal voice.

"Rose, I think we can go home now. We do have some good news to share, after all," he added with a grin. "Jack, Toshiko, you can come with us, if you'd like. Jack, I'd like to investigate your, ah, unique situation a bit further, and Toshiko, you did an excellent job of sorting those artifacts with what has to have been relatively limited knowledge. We may be able to put you to good use a little closer to home."

Both agreed to accompany Rose and the Doctor back to London, and the group set off for the rental car and airport, ignoring Henry van Statten's shouts of outrage as some of his guards proceeded to escort him, presumably towards the nearest police station.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The four got to know each other better on the long flight home. Though none present knew their prior world's Toshiko to compare her, they found this one pleasant to be around. She was intelligent and friendly, if a bit on the shy side, and she could "read" people well enough to border on a psychic ability.

This Jack had a similar life to their first Jack, up until they would have met. His warship instead crashed on the planet he'd chosen for his con, and he'd stopped using the title of Captain when he started working as muscle for hire after arriving back on Earth, having arrived with a vortex manipulator that was no longer capable of long jumps through space or any travel through time.

During the flight, Jack and Toshiko were convinced to consider working with Torchwood. Rose even promised Jack a position in which he could regain his former title as Captain. The Doctor explained that he couldn't be in close contact with Jack on an all-day every-day basis; though his presence was much easier to cope with than it had been initially, easier, even than it had been at their last encounter in his Time Lord body, he still couldn't fully relax around the man.

"However," said the Doctor, "One or both of you can take mine and Rose's flat." He looked at Rose. "I have another surprise for you, but it won't be ready for a few days, so we'll have to stay with your mother."

He grimaced.

"I suspect, though, that Jackie will want you there anyway so you can talk wedding stuff," he finished.

Rose smiled at her Doctor adoringly.

"Thank you, Doctor. I know this isn't your thing. You've done great with all the domestics, but I'm guessing planning a wedding with mum might cross even your new comfort levels." She leaned in for what started as an innocent kiss, pulling back with a blush when Jack interrupted with an, "Awwwww, you two are so sweet."

He chuckled. "You forgot we were here, didn't you?"

"Oh, shut up," replied Rose, laughing. "I've seen much worse from the other Jack."

She went on to explain a time during which she and the Doctor had returned to the Tardis to find him naked in the console room with not one, not two, but three other women. The flight continued in this lighthearted manner, and they landed in London without incident.

* * *

_A/N: I'll admit, this was a harder chapter for me to write, at least the first bit. I'm not good at action or strategy, but this is what made the most sense to me. I hope you liked it! Just a final chapter to go (with possibly an epilogue if the next chapter runs away with me), but I'm open to writing sequels if enough people tell me they liked this story ;)_

_-Kita_


	6. So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

_A/N: This last chapter ties up loose ends and gives a glimpse of what is to come. I hope you've enjoyed my take on Rose and the part-human Doctor's story!_

* * *

Chapter Six-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

[In which the future is established]

The group of travelers was picked up by an official Torchwood vehicle and was then immediately transported to Torchwood headquarters and Pete's office. The Doctor was disappointed when the office door was already open upon arrival, but perhaps that joke had ended when Pete resorted to wood, anyway. Four seats were present in front of Pete's desk, and the four sat, prepared for their debriefing.

Behind his desk, Pete looked distracted and a bit more disheveled than usual. He looked up and studied each person in turn.

"Well," said Pete after a moment, "First things first. I believe congratulations are in order."

He got up and offered the newly-engaged couple warm hugs. When everyone was settled again, he continued.

"So," he said, his gaze traveling again over those who sat in front of him, "Who wants to tell me what happened?"

The Doctor spoke first.

"Well, I proposed to your daughter, and she said yes," he grinned hugely and continued. "We found the unaging person who kept making such a ruckus," he gestured toward Jack. "Rose got nabbed by a collector with questionable morals, and I rescued her."

The Doctor beamed, and Jack cleared his throat.

"Welll," added the Doctor, "Toshiko may have helped. And Rose. And Jack."

"Right," said Pete, unfazed by the Doctor's method of explanation. "I'll come back to you," he said, looking at Jack, "but do we know why this collector took Rose?"

"Ah, yes, we do, actually," said the Doctor. "We used Jack's vortex manipulator to get into the bunker after we learned where Rose was, but instead of ending up outside her cell, we came out in a control room of sorts. It appears, from reading the instrumentation, that Rose and I were both giving off unusual readings, a combination of void stuff and energy from the parallel world and non-human traces, but Rose was giving off more of this, probably from all of her use of the Dimension Cannon. I only made the trip once and wasn't in the other world all that long, not in this body, anyway, so when their transmat could only handle one person, they chose Rose."

"Non-human?" asked Rose, confused.

"The traces of Bad Wolf. It looks like their presence has shifted some, combining more fully with your DNA. I'd like to conduct further tests before venturing any more guesses," replied the Doctor, watching her carefully for any negative reaction.

"Alright," said Rose.

Pete watched the two for a moment.

"Okay," he said, "So what about Jack here? What do we know?"

"Well," said Rose, deciding it was her turn to speak up, "You've heard all about our Jack over the years. You know Mum can vouch for him, too. This Jack, he's the same man. His life's been a little different since we would have met, but he's the same man. We need a new head of department for Cardiff's new Torchwood branch, and Captain Jack Harkness runs it well."

Pete leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands on his desk as he thought.

"It doesn't pay much," he informed Jack, "but the job's yours if you want it."

"You'd trust me to do that? Just like that? I'm a stranger to you." Jack seemed bewildered.

Pete didn't hesitate.

"Rose and the Doctor trust you," he said, "So I do." He consulted notes on his desk. "Rose, when you called before your flight back, you mentioned something about a Dalek and a dream? I didn't so much follow that part. Of course, your mother was busy yelling about how I'd put you at risk again and how I'd given himself permission to marry you without talking to her first and, well, I may have missed a few things."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor spoke before Rose could answer. "Jack here had gotten from the bunker a recording of a Dalek. Nearly scared the pants of me with that. But it seems to have come from a long time ago. I used the computers to search briefly, and it appears there hasn't been a Dalek sighting in more years than humans have had devices capable of recording that audio. This needs further investigation, of course, but there's no immediate threat. Daleks don't often do subtle well, and we'd know if one were functional and nearby."

"And the dream?" queried Pete.

It was Jack who spoke this time.

"The Doc here managed to make it so I could talk to Rose while I was asleep. He said now, though, that should be gone and so should some weird dreams I was having before, something about stretching the connection until it snapped. Which," he added with a touch of heat in his voice, "happened while I was still dreaming, by the way."

"Is that why you left without telling me?" asked Rose.

"Yeah," said the Doctor. "Sorry about that."

Pete looked a little amused. "Didn't you lot talk about any of this on the flight?" he asked.

Toshiko finally spoke. "I think we wanted to put it off and focus on something lighter, sir," she said.

Pete turned his attention to the quiet woman.

"I hear you're amazing with technology. We need someone like that at the new Torchwood office, too. This offer is pending a background check, of course, but the position is yours if you think you can work with this one," he said, nodding his head at Jack.

"I'd love that, sir," she responded, "Especially if I might have some further training in the process? I'm mostly self-taught, so consulting with some official experts in the field would be excellent."

"Of course. I can arrange for that right away," replied Pete with a hint of a smile.

"Now," he continued, looking at Rose seriously, "First, I want you to go talk to your mother 'cause or else she'll kill all of us. Then, get over to medical and let your future husband figure out what's been going on. You need to still be in one piece for that wedding. Speaking of, when should I expect it so I can pencil in some time off?"

"Well," said the Doctor, looking at Rose, "About a month from now?"

Rose smiled. "It's taken us so long to get to this point, Dad, and now that we're here, we don't want to wait long," she explained without breaking her eye contact with the Doctor.

Pete sighed. "Alright, well, you have to tell your mother."

O~O~O~O~O~O

The Doctor and Rose arrived at the Tyler mansion shortly after, Toshiko and Jack having decided they wanted to settle into their new positions immediately after a good rest; nobody had gotten much sleep on the flight.

A screeching Jackie greeted them at the door, and it took a bit of effort to translate the sounds into actual words.

"I can't believe it! You go and get engaged and don't call me, and then you get kidnapped. Kidnapped! And if you'd called me maybe you wouldn't have been wandering off again, would have been talking to your mum instead. I've only had half a day to gather wedding magazines! Well, on top of those I already had. We need to start planning!"

The Doctor was surprised at the urgency in Jackie's voice. "Did Pete already tell you we were only waiting a month? Blimey, that's a relief. Here I was afraid you were gonna slap me again."

"What!?" Jackie yelled, "A month? You mean I have to prepare a whole wedding in a month?!"

Rose tried to suppress her giggles as her mother continued to lecture the Doctor loudly and in her highest pitch. Finally, after a few minutes, Rose took pity on the man she loved.

"Mum," she said, gently turning her mother so she could look her in the eye. "This is what we want, yeah? We are so grateful for your help, but we only want a few people there, just family and close friends, so the biggest job is just keeping the media out."

Her mother sighed and reached to hug Rose. "I just want you happy, sweetheart," she explained as she ended the embrace. "You're my only daughter. I'll help you with whatever wedding you want, even if it is much too soon. And you," she said, turning towards the Doctor to give him a hug of his own, "You'd better not wait too long to give me grandbabies."

The Doctor gulped.

O~O~O~O~O~O

After a few minutes of talking with Jackie and greeting Tony, the Doctor and Rose headed to the Torchwood medical facilities.

"So, what do you think's going on, Doctor?" asked Rose as he started the initial tests. "I'm pretty sure you've guessed a lot more than you said in Pete's office."

"I think," said the Doctor, rather more hesitantly than usual, "That the Bad Wolf residue, the traces that were allowing the dreams, finally combined fully with your DNA rather than lurking in the background, so to speak. If I'm right, your DNA will have shifted just the tiniest bit closer to mine. Now, without the latent energy being a separate part of you, this means the dreams will likely stop." He paused to gauge her reaction.

Rose thought for a moment. "Alright," she said. "So what's that mean for me, that my DNA is closer to yours?"

"Well," the Doctor replied while transferring a sample from a vial to another machine, "I suspect each of us will live just a bit longer than your average human. Nothing spectacular, but the amounts of Time in each of our systems should be sufficient to give us maybe 50 years extra, a hundred, tops." Again, he stopped to study Rose's reaction.

She smiled. "So I'm stuck with you for longer, eh?"

He grinned widely in return. "And I'm stuck with you. And stuck with you, that's not so bad." He winked.

"Is there anything else? Do I get that thing with seeing timelines or anything?" asked Rose.

"I still need to finish running these tests," he answered, "But I don't think you'll notice any changes other than aging a bit more slowly."

He looked at her before continuing.

"Of course, you might not be stuck with just me."

"What, you mean Jack?" she asked, puzzled by his cautious tone.

"No," he said. "Though, him, too, I suppose. I mean," he continued, "before, when I first ran these test on us, our genetics were just dissimilar enough that, well, making a baby would have been somewhere between difficult and impossible. Now, when we're ready, we shouldn't have any trouble at all."

Rose smiled slowly. "'When we're ready?' You seemed like you didn't want them last time we talked about babies."

"Well, yes," said the Doctor, looking a little embarrassed. "I wasn't sure we'd be compatible at first. And then I was worried; my race is slightly telepathic, and I didn't know whether our offspring would be, and I didn't know whether your mind could cope well enough with your body carrying a telepathic child, so I didn't want to bring it up again until I knew more. When you were able to speak with Jack while conscious, I started to wonder whether I'd been overcautious. You shouldn't have been able to do that, not as a human."

"You were so worried before you sent him to me. I'm so sorry, Doctor," said Rose, reaching for his hand from her perch on the examination table.

"Did he tell you?" the Doctor asked.

"No," replied Rose. "I saw and felt it with you, just like I have in my dreams with the other Doctor."

The Doctor gaped for a moment before pulling her in for a hug.

"Rose, do you know what this means? We can communicate telepathically! I mean, it might take some practice, but it means I can tell you, I can show you how much I feel. It means I won't be alone in my head anymore, Rose!"

He pulled back just far enough to bring his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

"There are, of course," he added, a deeper note in his voice, "Other useful applications for telepathy between lovers, but because of how those bonds work, that's best saved for after the wedding."

He leaned back in for another kiss before rushing off to read the lab results that confirmed what he'd already guessed.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Though Rose had guessed by the Doctor's willingness to give up their flat that he had gotten them a new place to live, she was still both surprised and pleased when she saw the house he'd bought them. It was TARDIS blue, of course, with large windows and high ceilings, giving the interior a feeling of being much larger than it actually was. The basement made a perfect laboratory, less cramped than the one in their previous spare bedroom and further from their new bedroom, thereby decreasing how frequently Rose should be awakened by early-morning tinkering. Upstairs, next to their room, was a small bedroom, painted yellow.

"This could be the nursery, if we want," said the Doctor, looking a little nervous.

"Doctor," said Rose with a grin, "You can stop looking so scared every time you or someone else mentions kids. I figure we'll need to practice making them for a few years, anyway. Maybe wait until our TARDIS grows up and we've traveled again for a little while, maybe found a few spots that are safe to visit?"

The Doctor smiled at his soon-to-be wife. "Or," he ventured, "We could have them right away so they might be ready for short trips when we are. I mean, we do have this big house now."

"And this big house does already have a nice, soft bed in our room," she said, "And whether we choose to have them now or in a few years, practice can't hurt, yeah?"

"Lead the way, Rose Tyler," he replied happily as she took his hand.

And she did.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The wedding wasn't quite as simple as Rose had planned, but it was much simpler than the Doctor had feared.

Their guest list was limited enough to allow them to exchange vows without using the Doctor's alias, and nobody present found the Doctor's taking of Rose's last name odd.

When they exchanged their own vows, there wasn't a dry eye to be seen.

After the ceremony, there was dancing, Captain Jack Harkness never leaving the dance floor.

The whole event was happy and filled with laughter, smiles, and tears of joy. Afterward, the Doctor and his Rose returned home to be joined completely, body, mind, and soul.

* * *

_A/N: The end! I hope you've enjoyed this! It was my first real work of fiction, so I am honored you chose to read it :)_

_I'm saving details about how the telepathy works for any possible future stories, and any later stories might not retain the safer rating in this one._

_I'd love to know what you think about this or about any further adventures of this Doctor and Rose Tyler :)_

_Oh! And special bonus points to anyone who noticed what the first letter of the chapter titles spells out ;)_


End file.
